The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-08-12
Hickory Valley, Tenn.
EDITOR BULLETIN:


Dear Sir: / have before me the
two last issues OF your paper, in
which occur two or three c0mmu-
nlcaJiOns from Esteemed citizens OF
our country, opposing the prOhibl~
ton amendment to the state con-
sutiCution. Now, [ donot presume to
he able to answer all the arguments
adduced by these IeArne 5 atesmen
OF lawyers, as the case may be, but
only to notice few OF them which
struck me most orclbiY, as being 50
shaky ami vulnerable as to be sue
ct-ssiuLly asoaiIeu by one OF the
weakest OF the advocates OF the
amendment. An assault upon pei
sonal liberty seems tp be the corpus
deficit" the great burden Of com~
plant Of the antis. Now there is no
one vino loves liberty with more uu-
affected fervor than l. and the same
maybe said of other prohibl tionistS
with AlUIn | am acquainted; aud
the more she assImIlates the Souls
sweet home OF liberty the more we
cherish her sweet privileges aud
stand by Ter proud banner. Bat
how different when tht tables change
ana her privileges become repus nant
and sinful, and her Indulgeuceo b.~
come degrading. Then 1t Is time
for the strong arm OF the law 10 M
terpOse and put a restrain upon the
privileges, and If it were possible
To eradicate them from the cOmInu-
nifty. 1t is moi worth my while to
undertake to proove that the public
sale OF splIituous and vinOus liquors,
as a leverage, leads to gross m
morality and destruction. For We al.
know the fruits, how itenragcs Ia
Their against son, and son against
father, husband against wife and
children. That wife and children
are sometimes, Gotten 50 +, subjected
10 the West prosecutions I'M aglnd -
BILE, because OF inuulgenceS in this
species Of personal liberty. If we
see man with a razor drawn threat
eDing his own life, 4 man beating
her whom he las sworn TO protect
man shooting with Il gun aC ram
dom thrO Oh the streets, OF d man
wagering his own money at a game
OF cards, we ought 10 Interfere, in
tact we nave Statutory laws forbid
ding such privileges or liberties as
these, and no one complains; but
when We propose to legisIate against
the sin, or crime as some Of the OPP
pcnents would have it OF drunken
ness, they raise the hue and cry IN
tringement on persCna or Individual
liberty, and assert that the branches
are being plucked from the great
tree Of libelty, which was planted
by Patrick Henry and Others and
kept by the eternal vigilance of our
torefathero, and now, her trunk IS
being barred by the cunning New
Eng lander and sold for filthy lucre,
and the tauatical prohlbitionist has
no better sense than cry away with
her, her stain be upon our garm ents,
And the cry is heard for other Pat
rick Henrys to come to her rescue,
to eject tlHs wooden horse from the
camps Of the faithful Troians who
are wise enough to see the enemy
lurking in hi bowels! l incline to
tn;Hk that he branch which We are
alIer nov, has more sembiance Of
/ the i jas ,hau the tree OF American
{ liberty, an i ii II Is a bfaBcn Of this
tree, AT AL, Il has been Ingrattcd
t..eIoIn bl wicked hands, aud the
soolec she is Irrged 81 ali such
unnatural aud oileucing branches,
/ III better for tIOse D.a caes whose
! leavs : and Iuits are tor the healing
OF epeuple OF the Republic.
lhev acannN ie,i1e tndt tue abuse
Of TINS privilege j. a sIu ani Il crime
that christianity aud educata.n l~.tl
consplre 10 put down, out then,
say Iney, let Is legalize it, aud con-
firm il by our sultIa- e, ard let these
handmaidens OF truth and morality
! have IhLIr perfect Nork; that Is let
Us do evil that gOon may come.
! Let us not thlnA ct ASS M these
| hy statutory law. which ILet would
have you understand is 40 akin ia
moral law. bY our sullIa-es, by
our Educational, moral uud Ie.IgIOus
forces; but Just let TWO handmaidens
/ abstractly, without oar sane ton a
concern, work out this great prob
i lem, and rid our country OF this
siniul and degrading monster, whose
devOtees are po"erle=s TO extricdte
themselves from h's clutches eu!nt
81 whom are crying tc rs for ha
+ and aha ae iau to strike at IA